Copyright ã 2019 by Robert Johnson
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ISBN: 978-0-9961162-2-0
Printed in the United States of America

BLEAKHOUSE PUBLISHING is an independent, not-for-profit
press devoted to creative writing, art, and photography on social
justice. The press, founded in 2006 by Robert Johnson, a
professor of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University
is staffed primarily by American University students and alumni.
Our mission is to publish works that shed a human light on the
nether world of penal institutions, as well as other repressive
settings, practices, and beliefs.
To read more about us, visit: www.bleakhousepublishing.org
To submit to Tacenda, write to:
Robert Johnson
Department of Justice, Law & Criminology
American University
4400 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington D.C., 20016
Or email robert.johnson@american.edu

Brave!
Kareem Carter
The wind chill factor,
When it’s twenty below.
The shivering cold,
The arctic snow.
Withstanding those conditions,
No house, no cave
To some, that may serve,
As the definition of brave.
To be hurt, I mean pierced,
To the core of your soul.
To feel a crease in your chest,
As if your heart would unfold.
To then stand before others,
And let that story be told
With the intentions of saving many,
That’s the definition of bold!
You share your story,
And I’ll share mine.
And in succession with humankind,
The world will align.
Despite our many differences,
We all feel pain.
And, in those moments of despair,
We’re all one in the same.
We deal with hurt differently,
But, that’s the beauty of life.
Individuality, free-will, pro-choice, free-voice.
Strength is measured
By our will to survive.
The measures we take

1

En route to stay alive.
A hero is a woman
Who’s been through it all.
And she uses her darkest moments
To cushion one’s fall.
I understand your situation,
I feel your pain.
I empathize, I sympathize
I’ll umbrella your rain.
I will see you through
Navigate exponential terrain.
I will ease your load,
Alleviate the massive of strain.
If I could, I surely would
Put the world on my back and I’d carry them to the top,
And we’d never look back.
Since I can’t, I’ll lift their spirits
With nouns and verbs.
Motivate and empower them,
With pounds of words.
I’ll stand up for certain things,
And for those things I’ll die.
And before I explode again,
I’ll break down and cry.
Please understand what I’m about to say:
Those enslaved were the ultimate definition of––
Brave!

2

Yesterday’s Tomorrow
Kareem Carter
Mistakes are meant to be made…
Granted some are more detrimental than others.
If it wasn’t for heartache and pain
How, if ever, could we recover?
We learn from our mishaps,
They enable us to grow.
Experience brings understanding,
Which puts us in the know.
The act of proper perspective,
Equates us to being wise.
As I look into the mirror,
I stare my demise square in his eyes.
Rears are afraid of my face,
So my tears stream inside.
To cause one’s own grief,
Is to never gain relief.
Spewing my struggles on paper,
Is my only form of release.
I can only forgive myself,
If the one I’ve hurt,
Forgives me first.
I vowed to protect something I broke,
And that’s what makes it worse.
I was once your King…
Now, forever, I’ll live in sorrow.
I’ll never get over hurting you,
As if, yesterday’s tomorrow.

3

If there were no women
Kareem Carter
If there were no women on Earth,
I’d have nothing to give.
If there were no women on Earth,
I’d have no reason to live.
There would be no passion,
No reason to smile,
No sun to illuminate our sky.
There would be no love,
No laughs, no blooming flowers,
And the birds would constantly cry.
Without women on Earth—to stand beside,
There would be no reason to co-exist.
Without women on Earth—to stand behind,
There would be no season to pro-exist.
If there were no women on Earth,
Without the sun—we’d burn beyond belief.
If there were no women on Earth,
Just like the birds—we’d never gain relief.
God made woman for man,
To love for life,
To complete us as human beings.
Not as punching bags,
Or as personal property,
To be treated by lesser means.
When a woman dies—at the hands of man,
The planet should engulf her soul.
When that guy dies—at the hands of Earth,
It should be from twenty years of cold.
A true coward, is the guy who causes
A woman to cower.
Real men die protecting women!

4

I promise
Kareem Carter
I’ll die with visions of you,
In the depths of my soul. I’ll embrace others with my arms,
But it’s you that I’ll hold.
The impression you left behind,
Or shall I say ingrained?
Is one of everlasting proportion,
Never, to be unchained.
My life is the lock,
Your love is the key.
We both know the combinations,
It’s you, and it’s me.
Those two forces entwined,
Was life’s greatest pleasantry.
It’s been seven torturous years,
Since I’ve last heard your voice..
I did the unthinkable…
I get it, I left you with no choice.
The power of love,
I’ve learned to respect.
Your heart that I’ve shattered,
Is my greatest regret.
Indecisively decisive,
Explains the decision that I rendered.
My emotions got the best of me,
You always loved me tender.
If I ever fall in love again,

5

Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be a replica of you.
I promise to never hurt her,
The way that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve pained you.

6

Chain reaction
Black Messiah
They sat in the judgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chamber with tailored suits and black
robes
Taking turns playing God
While sifting through diabolical strategies and schemes that
would always make my dark and lovely life extremely hard
In contrast these founding fathers dug my plot in the summer of
1863
With a notion and intent that was sworn upon that would never
grant my chocolate face an opportunity to smile in peace
I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t choose this life mama
Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t you see they created it to entertain and then crucify me
Just think about some of their ideas and thoughts and how they
have cultivated me for survival in a world so cold with constant
struggle
Thanks in part to a system that is driven by their envy and hate
Which plows spiritual poverty and hunger
That have harvested the seeds which hypnotically refuse to set
your first born free
Open thy eyes mama
Or is thou colorblind and cannot see

7

Born in the Blind
Black Messiah
Thou cursed and cast stones during my wake at my
remembrance and the day that I was born
While the mob chanted that the dark and lovely one is finally
dead and gone
But thy joy quickly sobered up when thou dug up my grave to
confirm my crucifixion
Where thou couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find a single bone
For something is definitely not right
Where did we go wrong
I heard you all nursing that same familiar song
But I ask thou
Are not my footsteps in faith ever strange
Like the gentle breeze before it storms
And just to think my soul never had to look back to
acknowledge that thou had restored my empty tomb
With a body of lies that delivered the birth and resurrection of a
son that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a father that he can call his own
Isaiah 7:14

8

Beyond recognition
Black Messiah
I am the only face of GOD
And they soul shields its eyes because of spiritual blindness
trying to capture a glimpse of my beauty and grace
Because as far as though knoweth my locks are knotty and coil
up like long black pine shakes
A reflection of my complexion which is ebony
Because my bloodline is dark grape
And need I remind thou that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been stoned
Beaten with whips
And hung from the trees by rope
All because thou cannot see my face

9

Illumigodi
Black Messiah
It was just this morning after I rose
And wiped the night before from out of the corner of my eyes
When god enabled me to visualize though his spirit the world
around
Concerning those things which create and mandate inner peace
And those things which mentally and physically break us down
into tears
And from every aspect imaginable I find it astounding that
99.6% of all humankind believe wholeheartedly
Only in those revelations that they have been manifested to
While off in some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most dark places
On a totally different and hidden agenda less than 1 % of the
most deceptive minds can be found lurking and tinkering along
the cracks and crevices of conception and perception
Those which lure and steer the notions that we see
Smell
Hear
Taste
And tough from mere ideas
The toughest
Into illusions
Those in connotations will the empty souls of the walking dead
that whose ground and around a global mass of eminent
darkness
Symbolizing a torch without a flame
Simple because they trash through the unknowns of spiritual
poverty destined by their own fate to take a glimpse of the truth
While they stare through the eyes of a world full of lies

10

Where lies the truth
Black Messiah
Let’s say that thou witnessed a lie tell the truth
On the ground that the truth can’t utter a lie
Then it is not feasible that the cross used to crucify Jesus
Was merely a reflection off of someone else’s image that was
actually real
Is not black beautiful?
Need I remind thou that the truth cannot utter a lie.

11

[here]
Hello World
G. Leaks
Hello World . . .
Without further ado ;
i present me to you
The Fertile Concrete Vol.2
G.Leaks . .. that's the name
I encourage change . . .
Majority of our minds, is shackled in chains
Believing everything that our eyes see . . . ears hear
Talking bout , " space is the final frontier . . . "
Space been here , before Earth was a sphere .
Before Earth started spinning . . .
Before Jupiter had rings . . .
Before Angels had wings . . .
Before the Sun's first beam . . .
Before everything . . . that we thought we knew . . . think we
know
when i think , it show . . . when i think , i grow
when i grow , i go . . . when i go , i flow
when i flow , i glow . . . when i glow . i WHOA !
L.O.L.
Yes i shall . . . elevate above the psychological cells
They're proud of the crack in their bell
If one was superstitious, that would be one hell of an omen
What's the origin to "AMEN " ?
Shall we continue to pretend ?
Or do we post-2-tend ?
I'm tending to . . . what pretending do
Jail aint no difference that a friggin zoo

12

The untamed stay locked in the friggin shu 1
Majority of the inhabitants don't got a friggin clue
Black is black . . . white is white . . . and migo is migo .
Everyone know, that so & so's on the d-low
or Joe Blow , works for the c.o.'s2
I'm balling without shooting ONE mutha fuckin' free throw (
SWISH!)
Why you mad, if you already know she's a freak bro?
You knew, as soon, as you get your time ,
that she was going to say, "peace bro"
If she stay, 9 (1/2 ) times out of 10 , she'll probably creep bro
The truth don't care, what you think though . . . nor how you
feel . . . nor how you kill.
False identities get revealed
"Rat " is spoken fluently behind " ice grills "
I've seen it a thousand times
They use distractions, to defertilize minds
NOT MINES
G.Leaks , know how to utilize time
I stay conditioned , by exercising my mind
I'm in tip-top condition to be exact
I know the hidden agenda behind " white and black "
Open your minds as i reveal the facts
PAY ATTENTION

1
2

Special Housing Unit
Correctional Officer

13

In My Mindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eye
Bilal Ahmed
The sun is shining bright
I see my shadow in the light
Sharp and clear it stands
Through the window as it lands
The grass is green outside
The trees swaying far and wide
I close my eyes and feel the breeze
The pollen is going to make me sneeze
The clouds travel in the blue sky
The daffodils open without a try
My mind has opened this eye
A different one; not one with I cry
The silence of the deadening rose
Is this a butterfly tickle my nose?
The book that I am hushed in
The painting that I am brushed in
Takes me in leaps and bounds
To see the scenes and hear the sounds
What do I see far away?
Is it a person or a thing a lay?
Is it moving or standing still?
As I focus I get a thrill
It is ME standing in the day
Looking up and arms away
Is it still orange I am wearing?
I am still here! I look staring

14

ZOO
Bilal Ahmed
A trip to the zoo was always fun
sky was clear and hot in the sun
A sunny bright day, blinding light
everyone is about, left and right
Hard to find parking in the mid of town
Metro is a good choice, just ride it down
Two pandas greet us at the double gates
Calendar says Zooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s open on all the dates
Of course we carry a lunch box with us
Sandwiches and cold drinks for all of us
We stop, we drink, we stop, we eat
We are hungry and sweating in this heat
We see snow cones, we run to them
We buy them dripping there and then
We laugh and play as we cool down
Hand in hand singing into town
We see the lions, zebras and elephants
We visit snakes, amphibians and ants
We come upon an exhibit huge
It looks like a tall big refuge

15

We enter and see a great big hall
It is lined with bars around the wall
Then there is glass to see through too
It is here when you see a reflection of you
It is a building where primates are living
Each in its cell, wait! What are they giving?
They are giving each other love with looks
They are passing time with their books
They jump, they climb, they swing, they scream
They curl, they squeeze, they tire then dream
Day in day out the routine they follow
As time goes their eyes grow hollow
They have plates, cups, spoons and heap
They stay busy, look busy and sometimes sleep
People walk around and watch them with awe
With their transparent lunch packs in their paw
They see the drinks, cotton candy and snow cones
They smell and see all the colors and tones
Are they the slaves, or are they primates?
NOOOO! They are humans just only inmates

16

I RISE
Bilal Ahmed
The doors open
I hear the clanking of the chains
I hear the music of the keys
As they follow step of the boots
“Go In” they say “Step In” they say
fear in my chest, Tremble in my feet
I ask, Is it the color of my skin
Or is it the name of my kin
I wonder CAN I RISE
I see the light of disappointment
The darkness of the deep
The paleness of the life
The sweat of the cold skin
The stiffness of the spine
In all the faces known and unknown
I wonder CAN I RISE
The bed that breaks the backs
The floor that crushes the knees
The chairs that mold the bones
The food that digests intestines
The blanket that suffocates lungs
The shoes that corn the heels
I wonder CAN I RISE
All in kitchen say, They can’t
All the doctors say, We can’t
All the C.O.’s say, You can’t
All the nurse says, She can’t

17

And the dispensers say, They can’t
But I say I can Rise and I WILL RISE
The nights are lonely
The days more so
Lost in the loud
laughter of the C.O.
The loud bangs of metal doors
The shouts of “COUNT TIME” seem far but clear
Everything’s far that felt so near
But I say I can Rise and I WILL RISE
I like to play in the gym, but my hand does not want
I like to run on the court, but my feet don’t want
I like to watch others score, but my eyes don’t want
The lifeless bodies with no goals
The harsh hearts with no souls
I touch and see everyday
But I say I can Rise and I WILL RISE
We gather in the room
All hearts filled with gloom
Eyes looking for the light
To make us shine bright
Here comes the hand of prayer
And washes off layer after layer
The grim shadows of sorrow
Giving us hope for tomorrow
And NOW I RISE
We gather in the room
All brains with nothing to loom
Empty hands with nothing to do

18

Thinking what? having no clue
Now comes a lady with a pen
She leads us into the book of den
The doors are opened for our minds
The windows fling with no blinds
I learn, we learn, I laugh, we laugh
Bright eyed, supportive, with a scoff
My teacher tells me that YOU SHALL
And NOW I RISE
With the power of the books
With the strength of the smiles
Looking around in all the nooks
with my pen I tread miles
I tell my loved ones, I am fine
I tell them my teachers are divine
And NOW I RISE
All the teachers say they can
And the librarian says she can
And the admin says we can
They guide and bring us to the dream
They teach us, tell us, how to dream
And NOW I RISE
I know we wear orange today
I know we are here today
But I know not what tomorrow holds
But I am sure itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made of gold
I RISE with the candle light
I RISE like the sun so bright
I RISE with my morals high
I RISE with my head held high

19

I RISE with my vision clear
I RISE with my life in steer
I RISE with love in my heart
I RISE with my soul apart
I RISE with the color of my skin
I RISE with pride in my kin
I RISE NOW, I RISE FOREVER
I RISE I RISE I RISE

20

Unnamed 1
Izuo-ere "Mimi" Digifa
A letter to every soul that feels,
Every mind that dreams,
Every eye that uncovers.
Rely on your being to keep you engaged,
To keep you warm,
To keep you alive.
Develop a part of your mind,
The universe hands out on a platter of grace;
Possess the capacity of imagination.
And in all the options in life,
Allow none to conceal your emotions;
Do not be anxious of vanity.
In the absence of solitary,
Choose to give yourself love;
Choose love over all.

21

Unnamed 2
Izuo-ere "Mimi" Digifa
A refreshing scent of serenity,
Green, healing and good,
In the goodness of every possibility,
My being could ever stand on.
Flowers, trees, birds and joy,
And little things that made,
Other little things big things.
Breeze and leaves singing,
In a medley of the finest symphony.
It was paradise even before
I was gifted the art to cajole
Fine words, as the gardener of soul,
Planting nature and love,
Growing fruitfully for the sake of divinity.
It is pure, It is warm. It is free and wild,
It is my youth living soulfully.
It is calm and humbling,
At the verge of magnificence.
I am in Eden,
I am at peace.

22

Behind These Fences
E.J. Lash
Woe to these fences caging we raging us let us free.
Personalities crash and theories collide
masculinity gets confused with ego and pride.
Check ins crash outs and fake suicide
I'm not Maya Angelo but still I rise but still I rise.
Look into these eyes their is no we in this team
just so many I's why can't we have a dream.
Behind these fences
Our thoughts get like the thickest fog unable to see mountains
Actions flow like water subconscious orders
make the heart beat faster sorta
like a computer without a user knowledgeable hoarder
Brain teaser crowd pleaser can we cross the border
Black Islamic immigrants or terrorist for ya
Death to the infidels not Isis that's american lawyers
Behind these fences
When it comes to minorities they legalized slavery
Slavery is existent for all of us within
We are dead and dying slaves seeking freedom once again.
Who will make amends for the 13th amend
I've done a crime so my life is not mine beginning to end
lock down in our lock down these gates designed only to let us in
The Hole programing us to fear but need segregation
Behind these fences
sleep counted eat play counted eat sleep repeat
a bunk and a number become a tomb and a tombstone
What was made to be temporary has become our permanent home
Behind these fences.

23

Parody from Planet Prison
Robert Johnson
“All illiterate inmates line up here,” said the sign on the prison
wall.
Another sign proclaimed, “this institution is reserved for the
most dangerous, disruptive and diverse inmates.” Reserved?
Diverse inmates? Has political correctness come to this?
At a women’s prison, a sign advertises a long running program:
“Girl Scouts Behind Bars.” One can only think, “Please, let them
out!
The inmate refused to “bend and spread ‘em’,” saying, “I’ve
never showed my ass to nobody and I ain’t starting now.” He
was duly reprimanded by Officer Chippendale.
The mail order form in the prisoner’s file read: “Stocking hat, ski
mask, ear plugs. Rush shipment.” The order was processed
promptly.
Notation in a prisoner’s file, complete and unabridged: “Parole
denied, rehear in 10 years.”
Notation in a prisoner’s file, under Demographics: “Dark”
“Large” “Christian” “Carpenter.” Jesus.
“Inmate attends church weakly,” it was noted in another file.
The fight was serious: the man “went for the juggler vein.”
Another fight was ruled “a clear-cut case of elf defense.”

24

One inmate was punished for “making a para-military jester,”
which may be a comedian in camouflage, a distant relative of the
juggler noted above, or at least someone on good terms with
prison elves.
The other day, after a session in prison, I stopped for lunch at a
Wendy’s restaurant. The sign outside read, “hiring losers.” In
bold letters, no less. Closers might be losers, by some
reckonings, but why rub it in?
The problem, I realized, is bigger than prison, but perhaps most
painful in prison. “What we have here is a failure to
communicate.” That’s today’s Gospel, According to Luke, Cool
Hand Luke.

25

Someone is Sure to Come
A play by Ellen W. Kaplan
With contributions by Robert L. Cook, Jr., William Basemore,
Joey Doe,1 Christiane Buchanan, Erin George, Jarvis Jay
Masters, and other inmates on Death Row, 20162

Pseudonym, at the request of the person’s lawyers. All contributors
can be reached at ekaplan@smith.edu
2
Some brief material is adapted from a piece by Robert Rossi in Writing
for the Lives, by Maria Mulvey-Roberts; all other contributions by
inmates cite their names within the text.

26

THE PLAY. EVENTUALLY HER HAIR TURNS WHITE, SHE
IS NEVER LEAVING THIS PLACE. SHE SCANS THE
HORIZON, THEN JUMPS WITH JOY.
GWB
Here! I’m over here! Heyyyy! - Hell, they can’t hear me.
They’re too far away. Hey, you, BOAT! They see me! C’mon.
This way. Here! (she keeps staring out at the sea) Sailboat,
rowboat, raft. Boat. HEY, BOAT!!! (pause) Blot. It’s a blot,
not a boat. A spot, not a blot, boat, stop! Talking yourself right
into your grave Stark fucking mad. (She scans the sky) Not even
a bird. Where are all the Polar Bears? Hibernating, probably.
(Pause) Black spots … (waves her hands in front of her eyes). Stop,
stop, spots, blots! Boats, bats….bat boat bat. Omigod. It’s
fucking raining bats. Get out of my eyes! (Pause) Breathe. No
bats.
JOEY DOE
First time I was in, I was just a scared kid. First day, I’m walking
down this long hallway. I see these 2 officers yelling at this
Mexican guy. Tall one is all up in his ear, I don’t think the Mex
guy understands English. Right as I’m passing him the officer
slams his face on the wall. It was blood all coming down the
wall, he had to have broken his nose, he got blood pouring like
out of a faucet. The other officer sees me and says, “What the
fuck you looking at? You wanna be next? Keep walking.” I
turned away and picked up my pace. I don’t want these crazy ass
pigs to go psycho on my black ass.
GWB
Seeing spots. Staring at endless ocean. White, ice, white,
scorching my eyes. Turn off the lights! I can’t sleep. (rubs her
eyes) …. Just spots in front of my eyes. (looks out again) But
that’s a boat. On the horizon. A dot, a boat. Dot, boat, dot…

27

(she makes a hole with her fingers, in front of one eye, and squints).
… I see it! On the water. I’M HERE! Get me off this thing!
Just hold on. They’re coming. They’ll come. Maybe they’re on
holiday. Out to sail the sea, sipping gin, star-gazing. They have
no idea I’m here. Why am I here….? It’s some kind of joke. Get
me off this thing!!! Shit. …..shit, shit, shit.
JOEY DOE
A joke. True that. So, I’m saying. This one morning I wake
up, eat breakfast. And now we’re smoking my last joint and
we’re high and I reach under the bunk to get my bag of food, I
feel like eating some yum yums. But all my candy bars has a bite
mark on them. I said, “Blood, who did this to my shit?”
Everybody’s laughing but to me there’s not a damn thing funny,
I’m mad. Too Chilly says, “Blood, you got robbed by freeway
Freddie.” “Who in the hell is freeway Freddie,” I ask. Tray says,
“Ru-Jo, it’s this rat that steals people’s food and leave you mad as
hell. No matter how many traps we set, freeway Freddie
outsmarts us. Put your stuff on the shelf like everybody else
does.” This a shit crazy place.
ACTOR C
Buried alive in a concrete box.
JOEY DOE
Well, yeah. So, I’m waiting for my sentence to come down.
Trying to sleep.
ACTOR B
Can’t sleep from all the screaming.
ACTOR D
Lights on all night.
ACTOR E
The crazies banging on the bars again.

28

ACTOR C
The guards just wanna mess with you.
CUSH
This here is a world of trouble. Bottom of the bowl. Death
Row.
JOEY DOE
I can’t change where I am. But I can change myself.

CELIA
People say I haven’t changed a bit, except my hair’s gray. I tell
them, prison has pickled me. But I have changed, a lot. Sure I’ve
gotten older—but I've also begun to define myself. What I
believe in. How I treat people. That’s what defines me. Also
grief, regret, shame, guilt, anger, they define me too, but not as
much anymore. When I got here, I was damaged, incapable of
telling the truth or trusting anyone. That’s what led me down
the path I took.
CUSH
I forget if I can communicate with people, after. 28 years inside.
It’s hell, but not all of us are hellish fiends. My given name is
Robert L. Cook. You can call me Cush. Qahhar Ali Cush.
JOEY DOE
You know that Michael Jackson song, Man in the Mirror? Look
in the mirror. You can’t change much, but you can change the
man in the mirror. That’s all you can change. Yourself.
CUSH
Dr. Qahhar Ali Cush. I’m proud of that. I earned that.
JOEY DOE

29

I got my faith. Plug into that. I’m somebody. Even if I’m in this
shithole, I’m somebody.
CELIA
I had to change my direction - I had to. No one else was going
to help me. … My name is Celia. I’m in for life, no parole.
JOEY DOE
I lost my Daddy while I was in Chuckawalla Prison. 1993, I had
4 months left on that time. I called home and was told, Daddy
was dead. Cancer. I was so hurt because we was as close as a
father and son can be. I had no one to hug me and tell me
everything was going to be okay. I couldn’t go to the funeral
and most of my family members had blocked me on their phone.
So I went outside into the yard, with this hurt in my heart and I
was mad, so this guy walked by me and he said something or
other to me and I started cussing him out. I called him out to
fight and he said okay because he had his own ego to hold up.
So we fought and I won. But I just can’t go fighting everybody
and the pain is still there.
BASEMORE
Tragedy. We all know about that. You might come to the false
conclusion that tragedy is normal. Sure it’s never been a novelty
in the lives of folks I know. Tragedy is a staple in the very fabric
into which societies have stitched themselves. It is carcinogenic.
It eats at you. It is what it is and it does what it does. I know
about tragedy. I know about being on Death Row. My name is
Basemore.
JOEY DOE
One day the guy in the cell next to me went crazy. I didn’t know
why until I heard him scream, “MAMA, WHY YOU HAD TO
DIE?” – his mother had died and he threw his TV against the
wall and busted it up; he tore everything up that was in his cell.
The guards came to his cell to get him to stop. I’, thinking to

30

myself, is this how I’m going to be when I lose a loved one? In
this cell by myself and no one to comfort me and I just snap?
GWB
HEYYYY! HELLOOO! Damn, dot, spot, bat, BOAT! You
coming or going or what? Don’t leave me! I’m HERE!!!! (gives
up) Someone will come. Ok. Cool off. In the Arctic Sea. This
is not a joke! I’m here. Been here. 30 years. No, no. I am 30.
I’m 30 years old, my name is… I’m 30 years old, I’ve been here
for 30 years, that means I was born here, that’s not right! I don’t
remember...I’m alone and afloat on the Arctic Sea.
CUSH
I spread my arms, spread eagle, and I touch the walls of my my
crib. My house. It’s that big. That’s the span of my living
quarters, 28 years. Gritty shitty concrete mold. Gotta keep
from snapping out. So I write, I paint. Every stroke of the brush,
every stroke of the pen. That’s how I get a grip on these walls.
Push ‘em out, so I can breathe. Then they close in again.
JOEY DOE
In one month I lost 3 family members. First two I handle pretty
well. But the last one was my nephew Jarrell, just 21, he’d been
changing, doing it right, but gang things caught up to him and
now he’s gone. He’d been the only one writing me. With 4
brothers and 4 sisters and my mam, I was not getting that family
love. But I knew once a month I’ll get his love from out there.
So, I get this big envelope from a sister and when I opened it I
see his obituary and my heart just drops out of my body. I fall to
my knees and start crying. This is a hard loss. But I say to
myself, he’s gone but now I got my angel. I got my angel.
CHRISTINE
Never ever thought I’d fall in love. Not in here. They called me
the Vestal Virgin. All these gals doing it with the shower-head.
I’d rather live without. Twenty years, never interested in

31

anyone. Then outta the blue, there’s this AMAZING woman
and I am SMITTEN. Brilliant, witty, utterly weird. I never met
anyone like her. It’s like we have the SAME BRAIN, it’s almost
eerie. And most surprising is, she loves me back. I’m like a kid,
all sweet on my girl. (pause) My name is Christine. I’m doing
Life. Without Parole.
GWB
I was talking to a man. He was in the Hole. The Box. “Nobody’s
listening,” he says.
ACTOR C
Even God ain’t listening.
GWB
I’m listening. I say.
ACTOR C
Someone’s got to listen. Someone’s got to know I’m here.
GWB
I know you’re here. But he’s in the Hole. What he’s going
through, it’s too much to say.
ACTOR C
Plenty men, they profit on me. Plenty profit from my
degradation.
ACTOR C
I’m buried in here. You’re building your house on my bones.
GWB
He says I’m living on his bones. But…I don’t understand. How
can he blame me? I haven’t done anything! I’m not to blame!
ACTOR C
You’re living on my bones.

32

GWB
This isn’t bones! It’s ice, slick hard ice. I’m adrift, on ice, floating
in the great blue sea.
CELIA
My window is 4 inches wide. At night sometimes I can see a
sliver of moon. When the moon is out. Daytime, I see a sliver
of blue. I've been looking at the same thing for 17 years. I miss
the sky. I miss the bigness of the sky.
GWB
My head aches, my heart is pounding, I can’t concentrate.
(mutters) Only chance…swim. Swim to the boat! They’ll take
me home. Slow. Toes. Feet. (her feet over the edge) Go slow.
Submerge. Up to my ankles. Up to my knees. Arms under.
Head under. No! Sting. I’ll drown. I’ll die. No one will find me.
Polar bears, hibernating. Or dead. The fish will find me.
(pause) There are no fish. Nothing lives here. Everything
freezes and dies. (she stares out for a long while) Fucking
fucking…. Black spot. Black spots, black dots bats bugs flying
roaches in front of my eyes. Staring at nothing, waiting for the
boat.
CUSH
Snapping out!
CELIA
I’m pickled, in here. I used to just change my hair color: mad
black, crazy henna, fire red. Then I got to work changing
myself. --- But nothing changes. Not for real.
GWB
They sent me here to cool off! Hahhahahahaha…. To an
iceberg in the Arctic Sea. Not funny. Going nuts. Talking to
myself. How long have I been here…? My whole life. What’s
left of my life… (scans the water) Black spots, White ice, Red

33

water. Blood in the water. Somebody’s blood in the water.
Wonder if it’s mine.
BASEMORE
I’m gonna share with you my Po’ Hymns – they speak about the
death/life cycle. Po Hymns are my visceral writings reflecting
the universal phenomenon of death and life. They are my
‘carnavows.’ My vows made to the flesh. (reading) I hear the
sound of your tears splashing down into the ocean. My mind has
refused me the right to turn away, so I remain, and listen. My
thoughts come coated with the salty mist of your dark days. I
remain here, reminded that all I am, is tomorrow’s yesterday. I
hear the rumbling of bones in the clouds. I hear bloody chains
rattle on like memories that don’t die. The snap of lashes,
whipping up the winds, bringing to me the rhythm of your hurt.
Your rhythm is chased by the rhythm of death, hungry to
devour everything, even our unborn children. Polyrhythms of
the whip occur and recur and I stand against them, I am their
nemesis. / Even in the ocean I hear The Beat. / Souls of the
middle passage / Let me not find sleep.
GWB
The sea is boiling. The ocean is turning red. ---- Whales!
Killer whales. I see their white bellies. I see their fishy eyes.
They whip the water with their tails. Smash slash. Those tusks!
They are armed, they have teeth. Long pikes, sharp pikes, on
their snouts… They’re orca. Killer whales which are really orca,
dolphins! Prey on the tiny sequined fish, huddling in knots of
fear. The orca push them to the surface. Slap the surface, stun
the fish. Slash pound. Trap them in the shallows, herd them up
to the edge of my iceberg. My icy yacht in the Arctic Sea. They
swim, they play. They feed on little silver fish. Here – in the
bloody water… this blood in the water and no more shiny silver
fish. Why are you here?

34

ORCA A
We have to eat.
ORCA C
Everyone has to eat.
ORCA B
Look at our scars.
ORCA E
Men shoot us. We have to eat.
ORCA A
Wounds. Scars.
ORCA B
Written into our skin.
GWB
And they’re gone. (staring at the sky) Where are the seabirds
now? Swans, vultures, all dying. The ice is melting. What are
we doing to ourselves?
BASEMORE
Hello, Rose: This morning the sun did it again. I was forced to
meet it without you. But in the confines of my mind, a reality
still binds, and I continue to see you. Yesterday was ours, but
today is only mine. What memories of you have I relinquished?
What breath of air have my lungs refused to breathe? “All good
things must come to an end,” they say. Maybe there’s some
truth in that.
CHRISTINE
I’m so sweet on my girl. She’ll be out in two years.
BASEMORE

35

I remember the first time we met as if it were just hours ago. I
remember our last meeting, how cold it was. We spent the last
hour of summer together, and then the sun slowly went away.
Now, it only rises in my mind.
GWB
It’s so dark. If only I could see the sun…the moon, a bird… A
storm is tearing up the sky. Look! Snow. Snow! Blessings
from the sky! Wash me clean. Oh, Lord, wash me clean.
BASEMORE
There was a time when we had more fun than the moon has
making waves. There were times we would touch as if touching
was about to be outlawed. There was no foul in all our days of
lay.
Naiveté plays in its own amusement park. So long ago.
GIRL WITH BRAID
Nothing on the horizon. Not even the sea birds. No one
coming. Even the orca are gone. [SHE LOOKS INTO THE
WATER, AND SEES HER OWN REFLECTION] The ocean
breeds monsters. See the monster! Its flesh is cold and raw. It’s
leering, It’s…me. The monster in the water is me. ---- “All
alone, all alone, alone on a wide wide sea.” Soon I’ll fall into the
ocean. Into the deep black Hole, crawling with vermin and “a
thousand thousand slimy things,” from the depths of the sea.
Death-fires all dancing round me. Death In Life, she’s coming
for me. I hear things. Flushing pipes. Hissing snakes. Rats in
the walls. Voices of the crazy-men.
CHORUS
(ad lib, shouting, variously, repeating their lines)
Mama, take me home! I didn’t do nothing! Take me home!
Mamaaaa!

36

GWB
(curled up, fetal, shivering)
I’m in the Hole, in the dark, all alone. Slit of light from a filthy
window. In a damp dark hole. Shivering. No one here, except
the ones who came before me, flakes of them, dirt off their
rotting bodies. I smell them. I hear their voices. No. It’s me.
Talking to myself. I’m a crazy person now. I’m never getting
out of here.
CELIA
“You know you’ll never get out of prison.”
CHRISTINE
He let it hang in the air between us and then coldly dismissed me
with a flick of his wrist. The room iced over. All the air in my
lungs evaporated. My brain cracked into a billion pieces under
the pressure. ---- I didn´t make parole. All those years I lived
and breathed and believed that there would be life after prison for
me. After waiting for weeks, trying not to hope, my turn-down
came back on December 23. Merry Christmas. Some
commander catches me at the wing door and unceremoniously
hands me the form letter. For a brief, uncontrollable moment I
thought, “What if!” Stupid. This is just one giant warehouse for
people like me. People who deserve a second chance, damn
it. My record´s clean except for the one crime, the ugly, black
scorch mark on my heart. I´ve owned and paid for, in full. I am
simply marking time, treading water, waiting for my turn to
live. Life is zipping past me at space-worthy speed. If I stand
real still and don´t breathe, I can catch glimpses of it now and
then. But when that big old ugly turndown rolls
in, everything changes. Each “NO” is more devastating than the
one before.
JOEY

37

There is no recovery. There is only breathing deep, praying
hard, and hoping against all odds that something will change.
CUSH
There it is again. Hope. Hell, I’ve been here nearly 30 years.
BASEMORE
Do the crime, do the time.
GWB
But, what’s the crime? What are the rules? What are the
RULES?
ACTOR A
They won’t tell you til you break ‘em.
ACTOR B
Rules change, depends on who you are. Depends…
ACTOR C
…on the color of your money.
ACTOR A
…color of your skin.
ACTOR C
Justice for all...
ACTOR B
…is justice for some.
ACTOR A
Equal justice.
ACTOR B
Only thing equal is pain.
ACTOR A
The true “Walking Dead.”
CUSH

38

I would rather suffer through the torture than be a zombie. I
know that these 28 years of solitary confinement have scarred
me, mentally, spiritually, intellectually. But I would not change
the path I’ve taken through this hell. To walk through rivers of
lava instead of being frozen in zombie juice is a choice I do not
regret. Once I would have railed against a person even
contemplating suicide. I would have called them weak. But I’ve
come to understand that for some, the torture and torments are
just unbearable and they fought as long as they could.
ACTOR B
There is a point of no return for all ships that sail.
CUSH
I fight and try not to break. I can NOT break. I cannot break –
because I am the vessel powered by the collective spirit and will
of my ancestors. My personal powers gave out a long time ago.
“I” only lasted 7 years on death row, in solitary confinement.
The 21 years since have been by the grace and power of my
ancestors, family and friends. We are part of the Universal
Mind. I am no longer a believer, I am a KNOWER. I know –
that we are linked – indivisible from the Universal Mind, the
very essence of the Universe. I can assure you that near death
experiences, or extended torture, open the mind to alternate
realities. Call it Death Row Syndrome. Near death, you get to
the point where the mind demands that you prepare for the next
dimension, and then you never come back to the “here and
now.” But sometimes the traveler returns with gifts for
themselves, and their community, and all of humanity. I got
almost 3 decades here. I take what nourishment I can, little bits
of light, I grab it, when I meet a friend, when I talk to you. It’s
what keeps me going on.
BASEMORE
TH

THE 11

HOUR

39

The pacifiers do not cause you to gag,
But you can bet
They’ll blind the mind’s eye
To the threat
Of who is next.
Shorn like sheep
Corralled like cattle
Well-fed like babies
Unprepared for the battle.
With the threat of death
Pressure picks its spots.
Groomed.
They’ll set the stage for a celebration,
Satiric ceremony.
Strapped, trapped
Only the ceiling to stare at.
Roles reversed – they’re
Cats caught in traps for mice.
Some will shed tears,
Moisten the skin.
Last chance.
Welcome to the unholy.
You are death personified now,
Please be advised:
This is the death posture,
You’ve been selected to strike this pose.
You’ve been selected for the death roster.
GUARD

40

I am here to en-force the law. I’m trained and I’m paid to punish.
Predators have to be punished. They brought this on
themselves. They come here, think they’re kings or something,
want you to treat ‘em like royalty. But, this here, this is just the
beginning of a world of pain. Which you deserve, assholes. The
struggle bus stops here, you’re getting on and you’re never
getting off.
CUSH
People are damaged by years of solitary, or being on the row.
Each time a death warrant was signed against me, it is as if
someone is holding a loaded gun to my head and only one
chamber is empty. And the State was pulling the trigger. The
“click on an empty chamber” is when a stay is issued and a
warrant is lifted. Those who never have to endure this, think
nothing is wrong, because the execution wasn’t carried out. But
no one asks about the residual effects of the gun being pointed,
trigger pulled.
GUARD
Oh, they’re real good at scapegoating. Blame everyone else for
their troubles. And don’t tell me they have low self-esteem, they
do not have low self-esteem. Aggression is normal for them.
They fight each other, they fight us, and I have sting to ‘em til
their down. ---- They hate us. Screws, they call us. Dicksucker,
motherfucker, trash talk our families. -- I do tie-downs
sometimes. I don’t like doing it but I do happen to agree with it.
You know what some of these guys have done? They’re killers.
That’s what they are. They deserve to die. When you think
about, uh…taking their life, it’s a small price to pay to make
innocent people feel safe. I tell them, ‘You just go quiet, now;
don’t give us no trouble.’ They say their last words, if they have
any, and then that’s it, they’re gone. Most of ‘em know they
deserve to die.

41

ACTOR D
He says to me, “If I could give my life to bring her back, I
would.” Well, sorry is cheap. I cannot forgive him. My God
tells me, forgive him. But, truthfully? I want to watch him die.
Maybe I’ll get my life back, once he’s dead.
GUARD
Gas ‘em. Fry ‘em. Makes the rest of us safer.
ACTOR E
They told us it’s natural to hate the killer and want him to die.
He’s a monster. Then I actually saw him in the courtroom. A
person. A human being. With a mother who cries when she
hears that her son is going to die. Killing him isn’t going to
bring back my Eddie. It’ll only bring more grief.
ACTOR B
My death isn’t the answer. No death is an answer.
ACTOR A
“Blood has to be washed with tears. Not by more blood.”
Victor Hugo said that.
GUARD
Look, I’m just doing what I’m told. And I got job security.
What’s wrong with that? I’m just an ordinary working guy,
doing what I’m paid to do.
GWB
Hey. Can you help me? I’m going crazy, I gotta get off this
thing.
GUARD
You gotta wait for the boat.
GWB
There is no boat. Just spots in front of my eyes.

42

GUARD
(shrugs) Nothing I can do.
GWB
How long am I gonna be here?
GUARD
Long as it takes.
GWB
Can I get a blanket? I’m cold. (no answer) How about some
shoes?
GUARD
Some guy used shoelaces to hang himself. No shoes, no
shoelaces.
GWB
They gave me floppy slippers. But they don’t fit…
GUARD
(shrugs) Sorry.
GWB
How about some soap…?
GUARD
Guy put a razor inside a bar a soap, cut himself up, tried to off
himself, bled all over.
GWB
Pen? Paper? I’m going crazy here.
GUARD
Pens are ok, just refills though. No pencils except the small ones
you get at miniature golf. Of course, you won’t be playing
miniature golf for a while! (laughs at his own joke). Rules. We
all have to follow the rules. Like, no staples. Those are
weapons! No paper clips, no…

43

GWB
Can’t somebody ….?
GUARD
It’s just me and you.
GWB
Where’s my father?
GUARD
Don’t you remember?
GWB
Where’s my mother?
GUARD
Don’t you remember?
GWB
No!
GUARD
No one’s coming to rescue you.
GWB
How long do I have to stay here?
GUARD
I ask the questions. Where were you yesterday? Day before
that? Day after that? Do you know what day it is? You almost
cocked me when I tossed you in the hole, that’s high crimes,
lady. You’re lucky you’re white, that’s all I can say.
GWB
I’m going crazy here.
GUARD
Can’t pull that shit. We know about faking crazy. You cut
yourself, you hang yourself. Every day, we get another hanger!

44

You think you can catch a break if you act crazy, what a scam.
But we’re not letting you motherfucking loons out on the loose.
Think again.
GWB
I …don’t know. I was talking to my friend…
GUARD
You ladies go for the rough ones. Sadists, psychos, scum.
Women actually marry these guys.
GWB
No…I was just, what was I…? Talking. To a person…a human
being.
GUARD
Human!? They’d kill their mother for a nickel.
GWB
I…no. I was listening to him.
GUARD
Why would you do that?
GWB
I was visiting my friend…I wasn’t...
GUARD
No visitors, you got that? (girl looks down) You helped him.
GWB
I didn’t mean to…well, I did, but…
GUARD
You can’t help anyone.
GWB

45

I can’t take anymore! How long do I have to stay here?
GUARD
Your whole fucking life.
ACTOR D
It kills your soul. You go numb.
ACTOR B
Guys pretend to be crazy. But once a doctor starts treating you,
you won’t be faking for long.
ACTOR E
Some days you won’t get up out of bed. I just lie down and I
don’t want to get up, ever again.
ACTOR B
Some cut on themselves, just to feel something.
ACTOR D
Any attention is better than nothing.
ACTOR A
You don’t do what they tell you, you get gassed and they do a
run-in. But saying I’m not coming out of my crib, that’s the only
kinda protest I got.
ACTOR C
They’d been tearing up my stuff, and I’d had all I could take.
They gassed me, in my cell; when it was over, I just felt relief.
All the stress was gone.
ACTOR B
But the next day I went right back to feeling numb. Miserable
just like before.
ACTOR A
You come in a scared kid, shakin’ in your boots, but by the time
you’re done, you’re a genuinely scary thug, with the tats and the

46

scars and the gut, one badass foot soldier, first class felon. I
wanna settle some scores. I covet what I don’t got. Curse the
ones that got it. Go to sleep thinking of ways to get it. I want
what I ain’t got and I ain’t never gonna get it. When all you
have is hate, hate is enough.
ACTOR C
Stayin’ mad keeps me human.
GWB
My friend, he said to me,
ACTOR A
“First time I was just in for a minute.”
GWB
A minute. Means, one year.
ACTOR A
Every minute is a lifetime.
GWB
In for life. How many minutes is that?
GUARD
I’ve got reasons to act like I do. Some of these guys’d kill you as
soon as look at you. I got a family. Most COs, we’re just
regular guys, trying to make a living. We got to protect
ourselves. Keep some control. And then some gal comes and
she doesn’t know jack, thinks these guys are cuddly bears. And
then she goes and talks to this lifer…she thinks maybe he’s
innocent, maybe she can help him get out. He’s a killer, and he’s
gonna get fried. No more appeals. But she comes in, making
friends with him, and then the lawyers are claiming ‘exculpatory
evidence,’ DNA or some other bullshit. All of a sudden this
guy’s innocent! We’re keeping her quiet. On ice, so to speak.
GWB

47

(Her platform) It’s shrinking. The ice is melting. Global
warming. (Stares into water) The orca! They’ve come back. Up
to the edge of my floating castle. Nice to see you. Please don’t
eat me…I’m alone. I’d offer to shake hands but you might bite it
off. (orca come up to her) Friends? Ok, friends. So. What
possessed you to come this far north? Isn’t it too cold?
ORCA B
The oceans are starting to boil.
ORCA A
We go where there’s food.
ORCA D
We have to eat.
ORCA A
Everyone has to eat.
ORCA B
North, we hunt herring.
ORCA A
South we hunt seals.
ORCA D
We make waves to break up the ice floes, so the seals have to
jump off.
ORCA A
We stun them with our tails.
ORCA B
We work together.
ORCA C
Our mothers teach us. They are the matriarchs.
ORCA E

48

They preserve our memory, so the young learn to hunt. That’s
how we survive.
ORCA B
If you hadn’t poisoned our waters, we would build our
community.
ORCA D
Live in harmony.
ORCA E
But you kill us, you destroy us. You think we are less than you.
ORCA A
We have no choice. We are hunted. And we hunt.
ORCA E
We are hunted. And we hunt.
GWB
What can I do? What could I have done? Don’t swim away.
My ice is shrinking, and I’m all by myself. Let me out of here!
They said: No one gets out of this place.
ACTOR B
The alarm wakes me up, and right away I’m at the cell bars with
my tiny mirror peeking out, looking both ways down the tier. I
hear keys. Flash lights point inside a cell - Bobby’s cell. I go to
the sink. I need to feel some water on my face. Then I reach
over to where I keep my Buddhist mala - my prayer beads. I
hear the commotion. And I peek back out.
ACTOR A
This is bad, real bad.
ACTOR B

49

Bobby Goose is hanging off the cell door. A twisted bed sheet
wrapped around his neck.
ACTOR A
Hanging, maybe 30 minutes or more…He only have one shoe
on.
ACTOR B
Minutes later. Guards group in front of Cell #57. They use a
precautionary extraction shield, to spike open the cell. And
Bobby swings out hanging from the door as if it’s a haunted
house prank on a cold Halloween night.
ACTOR C
The guards rush to hold Bobby up.
GUARD
This noose is too tight.
ACTOR D
We need to cut him down.
ACTOR A
Dammit, why this cat do this to himself?
ACTOR C
Borderline chaos.
ACTOR D
The spike keys clang.
GUARD
Hold him up. Steady.
ACTOR C
We need the cut-down tool.
GUARD
Someone, hey, we need that saw-cutter.

50

ACTOR A
Now this is exactly the kind of shit that will drive you
motherfucking ass crazy. And what’s a cut down tool? Like a
tool to fix your car? On death row you need a tool to cut a
hanging man down? Man, I have to stay strong. I feel
‘betrayed’ when these dudes do this. It hurts, man it hurts. My
skin burning, and my face on these cold bars.
ACTOR B
I’m looking dead at Bobby Goose. He’s dead for sure.
ACTOR A
More guards, I hear their spike keys, they chain ‘em to their belt
to keep ‘em from bouncing.
ACTOR D
We got it, here’s the cutter.
GUARD
Stay hold of him. Let’s get him down. Hold him…hold him.
ACTOR A
This here’s death row. But watch, watch what these dudes is
going to do to him.
ACTOR B
On their knees they begin CPR. Loose up the noose, compress
the chest.
ACTOR A
What the hell they doing….like they helping him…
ACTOR B
They compressing Bobby’s chest to revive him. They’re –
GUARD, ACTOR C & ACTOR D
- trying to save his life.
ACTOR A

51

Can’t be serious.
ACTOR B
I never witness something like this before. These guards, see
this man a human being, deserving to live, doing everything
they can. I always thought nobody on death row would ever…
ACTOR A
Am I seeing this for real? What the hell? They’re trying to save
that man’s life.
ACTOR B
I knew they might not admit it. Just say GUARD
It’s my job.
ACTOR B
And all that jive.
GUARD
It’s just my job.
ACTOR B
Yeah, right. Truth is, Bobby’s suicide – and he did die – in that
instant, it had nothing to do with a uniform or a job. It was
because they seen a human being, not a condemned man
awaiting execution. They did everything, everything to save the
life of another human being.
ACTOR A
A week later I talked to one of those guards. He never had a
problem to say he believed in capital punishment.
GUARD
The sooner the better, you all get what you did to others.
ACTOR B

52

I needed to know what got into him, why he worked so hard to
save a man sentenced to death, and god forbid waste taxpayers
money like that.
GUARD
Truth is, I just seen that man’s face, that rope, he didn’t supposed
to suffer like that. Not until we all seen his chest move,
breathing. It changed my life.
ACTOR B
Is that right?
GUARD
We was just that close to keeping someone alive, doing
something like that, saving a man’s life.
ACTOR B
Bobby Goose.
ACTOR A
Huh.
ACTOR B
A LETTER TO THOSE ON DEATH ROW - The ink doesn’t
drip – it exudes, through a 4 inch tube. Giving birth to passing
thoughts. On paper made of rags I speak, but ragged I am not,
and weariness I have not forgotten. I know where I’ve been,
what I’ve seen, what I’ve walked through. / No one is faceless.
Life still surges behind the blinds of justice.
ACTOR A
If I have regrets, it’s because I ran for cover when my sisters and
brothers were effaced. If I have regrets, it’s for of the mothers
who worked from sunup to sundown, and as for me, you know
what the “lazy” do, we make sure we’re nowhere around. If I
have regrets, it’s for the sons and daughters who, when
circumstances called for me to step up and help them, what did I

53

do? I ignored them every time, and those of you who recognize
this, know that I’m not lying.
If I have regrets, it’s because of the old folks who needed me. If I
have regrets, it’s because I didn’t assist the fathers who banded
together to thwart the violence they faced. As for me, I just
stayed in the cut. Silent. I have one more regret. For those of
you unable to change the behaviors we once shared: I regret to
inform you that I send not regrets…but a mirror.
ACTOR D
BLOOD IN THE DUST – Some bled a little, some bled a lot,
who cares to count the drops? Made to feel like nobody. Not
blotted but smeared, agony torn from our tears. Tender souls,
moved across parched roads, the cracks bleeding secrets.
Broken souls. Tell me something, you rocks, you trees, what
can we expect? Tell me before we come to the place where this
road will end. Tell me your secrets, tell me the things you
know. What have you seen? Why have I been made part of this
death rite? This forced march that will terminate my life.
I push a ragged and weary plow, my flesh. The ones before me,
the ones with the moistened, crimson colored ropes around
their necks pull me closer to a fate I am forced to anticipate.
Reluctantly, I allow myself to be pulled forward. In so doing, I
pull others, quickening their fate. The prints that we leave
behind are doomed before a moon that now shines for the last
time. The sun will look, but our prints it will not find.
Hallowed once were the names we shared, the marks of the
whip and cane. What remains ahead of me is no longer a
mystery. I see the trees with the ropes and the pyre, which
smokes.
ACTOR E
Suddenly, the flickering light is dancing like a strobe, it fractures
the artificial darkness that houses the keepers of the night.

54

Thunderous, the sounds of a metal door disengaging, echoing
against the concrete walls, waking all but the almost dead. The
cacophony permeates their minds, teasing open the dreams of
those who are able to sleep, with death as their sitter. Their
darkest hour is forever poised alongside the storm called neverending.
BASEMORE
…and it came and went, the disturbance, so it seemed. Each one
went to his neutral corner, and silence teemed. Whispers
started to build. The inevitable blanketed us like cold chills.
Gates suddenly snatched open, Bodies pulled from racks. Blood
will be spilled, Bones will be broken.
1989. I’m facing death by electrocution. My thoughts are
fragments now...
The Founding Fathers built themselves up on exploitation.
Government money into their hands.
Experimenting on those considered damned.
We are fuel for the machinery. / Our blood is fuel for the
machine.
GWB
They’ve disappeared without a trace. Gone to feed the roses.
There’re people who’ll say, that’s the best they could ever do
with themselves, feeding the roses…but nobody helped them to
be themselves. See themselves, know themselves. I am not
resigned to it. I am not resigned.
I dream of murder. Fantasize the ripping shredding of eyeless
enemies. Peaceful Zen me, gregarious light hearted me. Black
hate, red-hot rage. Then the rage goes, and it’s fear, I’m like a
turtle, head pulled in, cowering, a shell of myself. Tremble
dribble drool, demented ‘me’ that can’t be trusted. Dreaming of
daggers, dreaming of blood. Teeth bared. Growling in the dark.

55

How. I. Hate. I hate. Poison shoots from my eye.
There are all kinds of prisons. I’m in one of my own.
I cry with grown men, I throttle the hate in my heart.
Forgiveness is not an option, not if you want to stay sane. Just
mourning. And sadness, and shame. / In here for a minute. /
Every minute is a lifetime.
This is what they do in dark places. Faraway places. So we don’t
have to know ourselves for who we are, when we kill.
SOMEONE LISTEN TO ME!
GUARD
I’m on death watch, some times. When you do it, there’s no
sensation. Try to forget it’s a human being, just remember the
harm he’s done. We compartmentalize. One guy buckles up
the belt, another does a leg, another puts his head in the cap. I
strap the right side. Got the moves down. We do it like that,
so no one guy takes the whole load. Including the guy who pulls
the switch. We’re a team. Everything according to schedule.
Every minute figured out. First thing to go is compassion.
That’s only natural.
GWB
(sees her reflection in the water. Her hair is now totally white)
My hair. Gone white. How long have I been here? How can
anybody live like this?
(she tries to hang herself with her braid).
Not even a nail to hang myself on.
I try to get the hatred out of me. Splash it on the page, toss it
into this icy ocean, get this poison out of me. I know men that
do. They’ve gotten past the rage.
Hope. Hope is a mystery.

56

Faith. Faith is a mystery.
The men I meet here – many have faith. Faith.
I pray to the God in whom I don’t believe. As I pray, I begin to
believe.
God give me comfort…..
I choose to believe. I choose God.
ACTOR E
God never turns away. He is never fully hidden from the
faithful. In my darkest hour, I lose my faith – my life is without
meaning. I am lost, forsaken. Then, in the silence, I hear God’s
voice. In the darkness of prison, God seems absent. – but I have
faith that he is with me, if I listen.
I move from despair to faith, from pride to humility; then I hear
God’s voice.
This cage hides the sun from my eyes - but if I but Listen for His
voice – if I seek His light, I am transformed. I’m not who I was
yesterday. In my transformation, I find freedom.
ACTOR C
But it isn’t enough.
ACTOR D
I am not who I was yesterday.
ACTOR A
It isn’t enough.
ACTOR E
I change. I grow.
ACTOR B
I have hope.
ACTOR D

57

It isn’t enough.
GWB
You pray for angels but only the devils show up. Why?
ACTOR A
Because. Hurt people hurt people.
ACTOR D
Let me tell you about the fly. A farmer complains that a fly
keeps biting him. And the fly says,
ACTOR E, AS THE FLY
I bite you, yeah, but I’m here cause of your shit. You choose to
live on a shit pile, you get flies. And they bite you, and sure,
then you catch one and you want to kill it, but we keep
multiplying, so you’ve still got a problem, right?
GWB
Hurt people hurt people. And so we hurt them more, and more
and more and…the devils keep showing up.
SLOWLY THE ACTORS, IN THEIR SPOTLIGHTS, REACH
UP TO THE UNSEEN SKY
ACTOR C
In any struggle, there must be warriors. You do what you can…
ACTOR
To keep your warrior spirit.
ACTOR B
You take your power.
ACTOR D
Respect. That’s what it’s about. Human dignity. Respect.
GWB
Have patience. Someone is sure to come… The boat. It’s
coming… Just wait.

58

ACTOR E
Been waiting my whole life.
ACTORS REACH OUT TO EACH OTHER, NOT QUITE
MANAGING TO TOUCH. LIGHTS FADE ON ALL, LAST
OF ALL ON GWB, WHO SAYS…m
GWB
Whoever degrades another degrades me…
END OF PLAY

59

Bullyproof
Aaron Holly - EL
Jason Bushwit was nine years old, in the 4th grade, and was a straight “A”
student who made the honor role for the past three years. Jason loved
being in Ms. Wallace’s class and attending school every day because he
always learned something new.
Ms. Wallace was a teacher that many of the students didn't like because
a lot of them thought that she was mean. But Ms. Wallace was just one
of those teachers that just didn't tolerate no nonsense in her classroom.
She believed that a classroom is a place where you come to learn, not
play. And every day she would tell the entire class that when you come
into her classroom, you needed to be prepared to work and learn
something; because a mind is a terrible thing to waste but it's worth
everything to invest in. She also believes education is the key to success
and will afford you many opportunities in life.
Every time when Jason would hear the wise words from Ms. Wallace,
for some reason, it seemed as if she was always talking directly to him.
And for the rest of the day, he couldn’t get those words out of his mind.
But it was those words that gave him confidence as well as the
determination to choose the latter part of Ms. Wallace's slogan rather
than the former and get his education, investing in learning as much as
he can.
“Good morning, Ms. Wallace!” Jason told his teacher as he entered his
classroom and proceeded to take a seat in the front row of the classroom.
"Good morning to you, too, Jason! Are you ready to work as well as
prepared to learn something new today?”
"Yes Ma'am!" Jason replied.
“Good! Today, we will have a new student joining us from Mr. Cox 's
class and I will introduce him to the rest of the students once everyone
arrives and takes their seats.”
“Ok then,” said Jason.

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"What's up Jason?" Jermery stated as he entered the classroom and saw
his best friend sitting at his desk.
“Nothing much, Jermery. What’s up with you?” said Jason as he stood to
shake his friend’s hand. “I’m just waiting on the class to begin and see
who the new student is that’s going to be joining our class.”
“What? Which class is he coming from?” Jermery questioned.
“I think Ms. Wallace said that he’s coming from Mr. Cox’s class down the
hall. She going to have him introduce himself to the entire class once
everyone gets here and take their seats.”
Jason noticed how nervous his friend became at the mention of a new
student joining their classroom from Mr. Cox’s class.
“Are you alright, Jermery?” he asked.
“Yeah, why did you ask me that?” Jermery quickly replied.
“Because your chest is beating so hard that I could see it through your
shirt. And you started shaking when I mentioned that someone new was
coming to our class from Mr. Cox’s class today.”
Jermery knew that he couldn’t keep hiding this from his best friend. It
had been the one secret that he chose to keep to himself for the past three
years and now he figured that his secret had been discovered, so he might
as well come clean. But before he could even get a word out, he was cut
off by the sound of Ms. Wallace’s voice instructing everyone to take their
seats so that they could get started. He decided that now was not the time,
so he told Jason that he will talk to him at recess.
“Good morning class!”
“Good morning Ms. Wallace!” The entire class responded.
“As you all know by now, my classroom is a place where you learn, so I
hope that you all are prepared to work because knowledge is power. And
a mind is a terrible thing to waste, but it’s worth everything to invest in,
because … What?” She asked the class.
“Because education is a key to success and will afford us many
opportunities in life!” They all shouted.

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“That’s right!” Ms. Wallace responded with a smile on her face. She was
proud that her students were taking heed to her motto and stressing the
importance of education.
“Excuse me, Ms. Wallace.”
“Yes, Kayla. What can I do for you this morning?”
“How come you always say the same thing to us every day before we
begin our lessons for the day?”
“Because it’s the truth, Kayla. I’m just telling each of you what I know you
have the potential to be great, if you put forth the effort and apply
yourself. See, once you know the truth about yourself, you will strive to
become the truth. And the truth is that each and every one of you are
success stories, and the only thing that can stop you is if you don’t get an
education.
Now, before we begin, we have a new student who will be joining us
today form Mr. Cox’s class. His name is Billy Witmore. Billy, if you could
please stand for the class. Now, class, give Billy a warm welcome.”
“Hi, Billy.” The class responded in a way that let Billy know that they
were not happy with the fact that he was now part of their class.
Billy was standing with a smile on his face because he already knew most
of his classmates. In fact, he had been bullying them for the past three
years. And the thought was not running through his mind again that it
was time for him to get back to the thing that he thought gave him power
and made him popular in school. But what Billy didn’t realize was that he
was not very popular at all in school.
The majority of his classmates didn’t like the actions that Billy displayed
when they were around him. He would try to control them. He would
say mean things to them to hurt their feelings. He even went as far as
having some of them buy him snacks at lunch with their money. Because
he never had any money to buy his own.
“Thank you, Billy. You may take your seat. I’m Ms. Wallace and I’ll be
your teacher for the remainder of the year.”
“Oh ok, Ms. Wallace.” Billy responded.

62

Jason couldn’t help but notice how the entire class’ facial expressions
suddenly changed the moment that Ms. Wallace told Billy to stand and
introduce himself to the class.
Some looked mad, some looked sad, and the rest looked horrified, as if
they had just seen a ghost. But what caught his attention the most was
when he looked over at Jermery. And seeing that he was shaking in his
chair. He felt that something was going on between his friend and the
new student, Billy. But he would have to wait until recess to find out
what’s wrong.
As the day went on, Jason continued to countdown the minutes to each
hour as he impatiently waited to hear Ms. Wallace finally say: “It’s now
time for recess.”
“It’s about time. Now it’s time to get to get to the bottom of what had my
friend so disturbed all day long,” Jason said to himself.
Jason made his way outside. He looked around until he spotted Jermery
standing over by the Monkey Bars talking to Chris, another friend of
theirs. So he headed in their direction.
“Jermery, what’s up? Chris, what’s up?” said Jason as he jumped up and
swung on the Monkey Bars.
“Nothing much man,” they both responded with sad looks on their faces.
“What’s gotten into the both of y’all? Everybody has been down since the
new kid, Billy, came to our class this morning.”
Jermery was the first one to spill the beans and confess to his friend the
secret that had been haunting him for the last three years.
“Jason, Billy has been bullying most of our entire class for the past three
years. Everyone was excited when we first found out at the beginning of
the year that he wasn’t going to be in the same classroom as us. We all
felt relieved. But I guess it’s not good to count your chickens before they
hatch. Because here it is, the middle of the school year, and here comes
Billy.”
“Why hasn’t anyone stood up to him?” Jason asked.
“Because he’s bigger than us,” Chris responded.

63

“Man, he beat up the last dude who stood up to him,” Jermery added.
“Listen, my father told me that violence is not the way to solve your
problems in life. And, he also said that a person who picks on someone
smaller than them is a coward,” said Jason, sharing some of the words of
wisdom his father gave him when he was being bullied at his last school.
“What? Well, what are we going to do then?” Jermery questioned Jason.
“I’ma teach you what my father taught me.”
“And what’s that!” Chris and Jermery both shouted at once.
“I’ma teach y’all how to be Bullyproof!” said Jason.
“What’s Bullyproof?” Chris asked.
“A person is Bullyproof when they stand up to their bully and not allow
themselves to be bullied.”
“Yeah, that’s easier said than done,” Chris stated, as Jermery nodded his
head in agreement.
“Listen guys, I been through what the both of you are now experiencing
and trust me, I know how to deal with a bully. First, you have to believe
in yourself and know that you have the ability as well as the strength to
stand up for yourself and face your fears. Believing in yourself first will
help you develop the confidence you’ll need to know that. You will no
longer tolerate him trying to control you; to know that his words cannot
hurt you, because only you have the power to define who you are.”
Jermery and Chris sat quietly listening to Jason as he spoke and they
suddenly felt empowered by his words.
“So, what are we going to do?” Jermery asked.
“Yeah, what are we going to do? How are we going to get Billy to leave
us alone for good?” Chris added.
“I don’t know yet, but we got to come up with a plan,” Jason responded.
“And a good plan at that!” said Chris, with Jermery nodding his head in
agreement.

64

Jason, Jermery, and Chris all sat in silence, each in their own thoughts.
Billy sat watching the three of them from the basketball court, putting
together a plan of his own. Billy knew that it would be kind of hard for
him to start bullying Jason because they were the same size. Plus, he
noticed how when he first went to their classroom this morning and Ms.
Wallace had him stand and introduce himself, Jason was the only one
who didn’t seem to be afraid of him at all. After several minutes of giving
his plan some thought, Billy figured that it would be in his best interest
to try to befriend Jason rather than try to bully him because he wasn’t
sure how the outcome would turn out for him.
Billy decided that approaching Jason during recess would be the best time
to talk to him and try to get him on his side to become a bully like him
because he was big for his age and the two of them could terrorize their
classmates for the rest of the year.
But little did he know was that Jason did not like bullies because he too
was once the victim at the hands of bullies at his old school.
As he started to make his way over to the playground, Billy walked with
such cockiness as if he ruled the world.
Jason, Jermery, and Chris looked up just in time to se Billy casually
strolling toward their direction when Jermery panicked and started
yelling.
“Here he comes! He’s coming this way! What are we going to do?”
“Man, would you just calm down,” said Jason.
“Yeah, Jermery. Calm down man,” Chris added.
“We are going to see what he wants,” Jason stated.
Jason watched Billy as he proceeded to make his way over to where they
were standing. He quickly formed a plan in his head on how to confront
him.
When Billy finally made it over to the playground, he immediately spoke
to Jason and never even considered acknowledging Jermery or Chris.
“Hey, Jason. Can I speak to you for a minute?” Billy asked.

65

“Yeah, I’ll be right back,” Jason told his friends.
“Be careful, man,” Jermery whispered as Jason walked over to confront
Billy.
“What up Billy?” Jason asked.
“Man, why are you hanging out with those losers over there?” Billy
spoke, trying to make himself sound cool.
“Losers? They are my friends, Billy. And they are not losers. Their names
are Jermery and Chris. So show them some respect,” Jason responded.
“Whatever man. Look, Jason, I was thinking that if me and you team up,
we can control our entire class,” Billy stated as if he was selling a good
dream. But he was quickly disappointed by Jason’s response.
“Run our class? Man, you must be crazy! I’m not trying to run our class.
I’m just trying to get a good education,” Jason firmly stated.
“No. … What I mean is we can be the biggest bullies and control
everyone.”
“Look Billy, I’m not interested! Plus my father told me that bullies are
cowards who pick on people smaller or weaker than them.”
“Man, I ain’t no coward,” Billy aggressively stated, trying to defend
himself.
“You are if you’re bullying people smaller or weaker than you,” Jason
responded back aggressively.
“You better watch your mouth and know who you’re talking to Jason.”
“Or what Billy? I’m Bulletproof, you can’t lean on me,” Jason responded
back.
By now, all of the other students standing around the playground heard
the entire conversation between Jason and Billy. And they all felt
empowered by Jason’s words and the way that he was standing up to Billy
the Bully.
“I’m Bullyproof too and I ain’t doing for it no more Billy,” Chris shouted
at the top of his lungs. Then came Jermery.

66

“Me to Billy. I’m Bullyproof!”
Then out of nowhere, three more classmates began yelling.
“I’m Bullyproof! I’m Bullyproof! I’m Bullyproof!”
Jason turned around to see half of his class standing behind him, finally
standing up to Billy the Bully who had been bullying most of them for
the past three years. Seeing the energy of unity and strength combined,
each of them knew that they would no longer let Billy bully them again.
All it took to see was one person stand up to Billy to give them the
courage and strength that they already had within them, to stand up for
themselves.
Once Billy saw how he was being surrounded and all of his classmates
were now standing up to him, he realized that he was outnumbered. He
became nervous because he was no longer in control, and from the looks
on his classmates’ faces, the outcome didn’t look good for him.
Within a split second, Billy came to the conclusion that it was time for
him to get out of there, so he took off, running at full speed in the
direction where the teachers were standing, as if he was being chased by
a pack of wolves. As he ran, his classmates continued laughing at him
because no one was even chasing behind him.
Billy hated the fact that he had been exposed and that his bullying days
were over. He decided that it would be best, as well as safe, for him if he
stayed around Ms. Wallace for the rest of the recess period.
Meanwhile, Jason, Jermery, and Chris went back over by the Monkey
Bars to talk.
“Man, I feel good. Now I can focus on my classwork without having to
worry about Billy bullying me!” Chris shouted. “I finally stood up for
myself,” he continued.
“Yeah, I feel good too. Thanks, Jason, for being our friend and teaching
us to be Bullyproof,” said Jermery.
“No problem. That’s what friends are for,” Jason responded.

67

For Former Felons, Voting Booths are Surrounded by
Bars
An opinion piece by Anastasia Maragos
President Lincoln once said, “Elections belong to the people,” yet millions of
Americans have had their right to vote stripped away, leaving them voiceless.
The 15th Amendment says the right to vote cannot be “denied or abridged”
due to race or “previous servitude.” This, in theory, helps correct the injustice
created by the 14th Amendment, which granted states the power to take away
voting rights. But in practice, Constitutional contradictions remain, with the
result that 6.1 million former felons or 1 in 40 adults in the United States are
barred from voting in elections.
The United States holds 4 percent of the world’s population and also 24
percent of the worlds inmates. Remarkably, the U.S. has the highest
incarceration rate of any developed nation in the world. Prisons are meant to
punish but also reform offenders. But once released, these returning citizens
are thrown into a world in which they are perpetually penalized for the
mistakes of the past. A step to rehabilitate ex-prisoners is to allow them to
regain their right to a voice, to a vote.
In America, 13 states like Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Mississippi,
Virginia, Wisconsin, impede a former prisoner’s ability to regain the vote.
Some laws either make ex-prisoner’s walk through a labyrinthine process or
steal away their right to vote indefinitely. No matter the impediment, these
states intentionally stop ex-prisoners from integrating into society again by
infringing upon their individual rights. These restrictions are criminal.
Upon release, ex-prisoners are expected to resume their normal lives as soon
as possible by finding a job and paying taxes to contribute to society again. A
component of these expectations is that they will not commit a crime again.
Those who oppose automatic restoration of the vote believe former
prisoners must prove their worthiness for societal clemency. A recent
segment from John Oliver discussed the process of a “clemency court” in
Florida. In the video, ex-prisoners are shown telling their redemption stories
to a panel of elected officials. The council, headed by Governor Rick Scott,
quickly and callously denied each person their voting right. Despite the
adequate proof presented, these courts establish their own standards,

68

creating a prejudicial system in which no one can win. Incarceration
continues outside of the halls of prison.
The public also opposes the right of ex-prisoners to vote as they believe
criminals do not have the intelligence to make a vote; they have spent time
in jail and therefore must be grossly uninformed. In a Washington Post
article from 2014, a study from Ipsos MORI found that most Americans lack
a sound understanding of national issues from immigration to
unemployment. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;average joeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; knows less than he thinks. Excluding
former on the grounds that they are uninformed is hypocritical. Besides, if
citizens are so concerned with the level of education of the ex-felon
population, then why not develop a program to teach them?
With major mid-term elections on the horizon, many races can be too-closeto-call. Now more than ever, every vote counts. National Register to Vote
Day in September encouraged young people to voice their opinions, yet
former felons were left out of this conversation entirely. Being one of the
largest populations denied the vote, the conversation around voting
registration must be expanded. Dwindling time until elections and the
pressing need for ballots should force state governments to re-evaluate their
role in barring ex-offenders from voting.
Some states have begun to alter their stance on felony disenfranchisement.
Due to the work of local advocacy organizations, a new referendum has been
added to Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ballot. Floridians will decide whether to lift the legal
restrictions and allow ex-felons an easier path to enfranchisement. According
to the Tampa Bay Times, this referendum if passed could help 1.5 million for
felons vote again. While Florida is one key state, the other 12 that exclude
former prisoners from the voting rolls have not moved to amend their laws.
Thus, the work must continue.
We as citizens who are secure in the right to vote must advocate for felon
enfranchisement. The benefit of bringing felons into the fold again is not
exclusive to one political party. Former felons could contribute key swing
votes for both political parties, if only they had the right to approach the
polling stations. More importantly, re-enfranchising 6 million people is a
matter of maintaining and honoring the American principle of democracy:
one voice, to one vote.

69

ABOUT THE EDITORS AND
CONTRIBUTORS
CASEY CHIAPPETTA (Editor-in-Chief) has been working with
BleakHouse Publishing for the last five years. She is also
responsible for BleakHouse Review, an invitation-only online
magazine that features art, poetry, short stories, and articles. She
recently received her Master of Science in Justice, Law &
Criminology from American University.
ROBERT JOHNSON (Consulting Editor) is a Professor of Justice,
Law and Criminology at American University, Editor and
Publisher of BleakHouse Publishing, and a widely published and
award-winning author of books and articles on crime and
punishment, including works of social science, law, and
fiction. He has testified or testified expert affidavits on capital and
other criminal cases in many venues, including US state and
federal courts, the U.S. Congress, and the European Commission
of Human Rights. He is best known for his book, Death Work: A
Study of the Modern Execution Process, which won the Outstanding
Book Award of the Academy of Criminal Justice
Sciences. Johnson is a Distinguished Alumnus of the School of
Criminal Justice, University at Albany, State University of New
York.
BILAL AHMED â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Ahmed is part of the Georgetown Prison
Scholars Program at the DC jail and has taken courses in
journalism and public affairs.
ISABELLE BALDWIN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is a photographer and writer based in
Washington, D.C. She received a BFA with Honors in
Photography and a minor in Sustainability from Pratt Institute in

70

2018. With an emphasis on environmental portraiture, Baldwin
aims to document the contemporary American landscape,
focusing on subjects such as the socioeconomic and
environmental impacts of climate change and sustainable
beekeeping practices. The body of work currently on display,
Sleepy Time Down South, concentrates on the quiet existence of
people living in rural communities below the Mason-Dixon line
and in Appalachia. This series has been exhibited in the Pratt
Institute Photography Gallery and featured in Aint-Bad Magazine,
Oxford American, Velvet Eyes, and The Photographic Journal, and will
be shown at the 2019 Every Women Biennial in New York. Her
work can also be seen in the Catholic News Service and
Alexandria Living Magazine.
WILLIAM BASEMORE – contact via ekaplan@smith.edu
BLACK MESSIAH – Black Messiah can be reached by via
correspondence with Corey Matthews #578237, Wakulla
Correctional Institution, Melaleuca Dr., Crawfordville, FL
32327-4963.
CHRISTIANE BUCHANAN – contact via ekaplan@smith.edu
ELLEN W. CAPLAN is a Professor of Theatre at Smith College,
Fulbright Scholar, Guest Professor (Tel Aviv University;
Romania;; Costa Rica). Directs across the US, Asia, Europe,
Central America, and a playwright. Selected productions:
Someone Is Sure to Come presented at La Mama ETC, Livy in the
Garden Robert Black Theatre in Hong Kong. Cast No Shadow,
premiered at Jewish State Theater of Bucharest, Pulling Apart
(New Haven; Moss Hart Award; Finalist, O’Neill); Sarajevo
Phoenix (interviews with women in Bosnia, produced in
Baltimore, Hartford, CT,); Twice Finalist for the Massachusetts

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Playwriting Fellowship.
Extensive theatre work with
underserved groups, leading workshops and teaching classes.
Currently developing a new play based on interviews with Yazidi
women survivors of ISIS. Professor Kaplan can be reached at:
ekaplan@smith.edu
KAREEM CARTER – Kareem Carter can be reached at Kareem
Carter – DD 8712, SCI Forest PO Box 945, Marienville, PA
16239.
ROBERT L. COOK, JR. – contact via ekaplan@smith.edu
IZUO-ERE “MIMI” DIGIFA – Digifa is part of the Georgetown
Prison Scholars Program at the DC jail and has taken courses in
journalism and public affairs.
AARON HOLLY - EL – Aaron Holly can be reached at Aaron
Holly – El #458-396-SID #2329959, NBCI, 1411 McMullen Hwy,
Cumberland, MD 21502
ERIN GEORGE – contact via ekaplan@smith.edu
E.J. LASH – How can one man make an impact in the hearts of
the future? E.J. Lash born and raised in Baltimore MD sought to
use his words. Through his experiences in life's ups and downs
from depression, love and lost, religion, and other influences such
as incarceration. E.J. Lash attempts to tell his story and touch the
hearts of his readers. His dream that one day when he's gone and
forgotten his words may mend the broken spirit like his own.
G. LEAKS – contact via Free Minds Book Club
ANASTASIA MARAGOS is an honors student at American